Thursday, January 16, 2014

PROTECTION OF MINORITIES

AFTER years
of suffering, persecution, exile and wars, Muslims finally began to rule the
Arabian Peninsula by the year 10 (AH) – a year before the demise of the
Prophet.

On the
Prophet’s order, letters were written to kings and emperors in faraway lands
inviting them to Islam.

Many
delegations arrived in Medina. Among them was a delegation of 60 Christians
from the territory of Najran, near Yemen, 720km south of Medina.

On arrival
they were received in the Prophet’s mosque where they were allowed to pray
facing east.

After many
hours of discussion with the Prophet about the nature of God and that of
Prophet Jesus, no agreement was reached, but the Najran delegation asked for a
peace treaty which the Prophet offered the next day.

The signed
treaty comprised the following provisions:

> Although
Prophet Muhammad had authority over all the fruits, gold, silver, crops and
slaves of Najran, he asked only for 2,000 hullas a year (each hulla is
equivalent to four dirhams);

> The
Najrans were required to provide accommodation and expenses for the Prophet’s
emissaries for up to 20 days but no more than a month. They were also required
to loan the emissaries 30 shields, 30 horses and 30 camels in case of any
disorder or treachery in Yemen. If any of the items were lost they remained
owing by the emissaries until repaid;

> The
Najrans had the protection of God and the pledges of the Prophet, to protect
their lives, faith, lands, properties, their clans and allies;

> The
Najrans need not change anything of their past customs. No right of theirs or
their religion shall be altered. No bishop, monk or church guard shall be
removed from their position; and

> Whatever
they had was theirs.They were not held in suspicion and they should suffer no
vengeance killing.They were not required to be mobilised and no army should
trespass their land.

It is clear
that this treaty provided religious and administrative autonomy not only for
Christians but also any non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic state.

And for
centuries, all sincere Muslim rulers adhered to the founding principles of this
treaty in managing the affairs of their non-Muslim subjects.

Another
example of Prophet Muhammad’s concern to draw the attention of his followers
and Muslim rulers that non-Islamic religious institutions must not be harmed is
revealed in his letter to the religious leaders of Saint Catherine in Mount
Sinai who had sought the protection of the Muslims.

“This is a
message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt
Christianity, near and far, we are with them.

“Verily I,
the servant, the helpers and my followers defend them, because Christians are
my citizens; and by God I hold out against anything that displeases them.

“No
compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their
jobs nor their monks from their monasteries,

“No one is to
destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it
to the Muslim’s houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s
covenant and disobey his Prophet.

“Verily, they
are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is
to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for
them.

“If a female
Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval.
She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are
declared to be protected.

“They are
neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their
covenants.

“No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the
world).”

It is evident
from this letter that all important aspects of human rights, including the
protection of minorities living under Islamic rule, freedom of worship and
movement, freedom to appoint their own judged and to own and maintain their
property, exemption from military service and the right to protection in war,
are clearly spelt out and have to be obeyed by the Muslim rulers.

Today, we
have to ask if current Muslim rulers and leaders, wherever they may be, aware
of what the Prophet Muhammad had wanted them to promise and practise?

2 comments:

Phuah
said...

The majority ( Muslim > 50%) in Malaysia has been successfully brainwashed that they are under threat by the minority ( Christian abt 10% ). This has rendered the majority to defend themselves from the false threat resulting in their inability to protect the minority.The majority just need to realise that they are the big brother !!!7534